RoyalOr Stakes a Claim on Mont-RoyalMay 15th, 2009RoyalOr is composed of members of various communities around the world confronting projects developed by Canadian mining companies — including Barrick Gold, Goldcorp, New Gold, and Osisko. Affected community representatives came to Montreal from the Valle de Siria, Honduras; Valle de Huasco, Chile; Porgera, Papua New Guinea; San Luis Potosi, Mexico; and Malartic, Quebec.

Under Andean ice, a golden prize AFPMay 15th, 2009An ambitious gold mining project in northern Chile, high up in the Andes close to ancient glaciers, is finally getting underway amid the economic downturn despite fears from environmentalists.

Barrick's Pascua Lama project denounced as illegalMay 7th, 2009Barrick Gold Corporation announced today that its Pascua-Lama project, situated on the border of Chile and Argentina, is proceeding to construction. Community leaders and legal experts from Chile and Argentina – currently in Canada as part of an international delegation – responded to Barrick's announcement today by denouncing this project as illegal and lacking the social license to operate.

Our community is made up of 250 families of indigenous farmers and shepherds of the Huasco Valley, and it is the only indigenous community in Chile that has a domain title recognized by the Chilean State over their ancestral lands. While other indigenous groups live in the Huasco Valley, none of them have this territorial basis.

MEDIA RELEASE: Indigenous Leaders confront Barrick GoldApril 29th, 2009Indigenous leaders from Papua New Guinea and Chile traveled to Canada this week to attend the April 29 shareholders’ meeting of Barrick Gold. Here, they will confront Barrick about human rights abuses and environmental degradation on their lands.

A SLAPP in the Face: Reaping Abroad, Sowing Shut Mouths At Home
by DELPHINE ABADIE, ALAIN DENEAULT, WILLIAM SACHER, http://www.alternatives.ca/auteur1277.htmlIn January, the Norwegian government decided to exclude Canada’s Barrick Gold from its pensions investment fund, deeming the activities of the mining company in Papua New Guinea as “an unacceptable risk of extensive and irreversible damage to the natural environment.” This sort of indictment is not unique; Canadian mining multinationals in Africa face numerous allegations of environmental damage. Worse, their reputation for a lack of ecological respect pales in comparison to their other alleged activities, such as the violent confiscation of property, tax evasion, corruption, and the financing of armed conflicts.

Western Shoshone gather at NV mountain being minedby Martin Griffith, Associated PressApril 18th, 2009Dozens of Western Shoshone tribal members and activists are holding an annual ceremonial event on the flank of a northern Nevada mountain that is at the heart of their legal battle against the world's biggest gold mining company.

MEDIA ALERT: Smoking ceremony, blockade and protesters occupy open cut pit halting mine operations.April 12th, 2009Wiradjuri Traditional Owners and supporters are inside Barrick Gold’s mine operation in Lake Cowal central western New South Wales currently halting operations. Wiradjuri are conducting a smoking ceremony inside the mine site. Over 10,000 artefacts have been stolen and kept by Barrick Gold Corporation at the mine site in a compound encircled by a 6 foot fence. Over 25 supporters are currently occupying the open-cut pit and several others are blockading the front gate to prevent shift change.

MEDIA RELEASE: Wiradjuri and Supporters Say No to Mine ExpansionApril 10th, 2009What: Lake Cowal Gathering: No Expansion! Shut Barrick Gold’s Mine Down!
When: 10-13 April 2009
Where: Lake Cowal, central western New South Wales
From the 10-13 April up to 100 people from around Australia will make the journey to Lake Cowal in central western NSW to support Wiradjuri Traditional Owners in their 10 year campaign against the worlds largest gold miner.